Daily Republican., 1887-08-13
Tho Chatsworrh Disastsr.

Tho Chatsworth Dissstsr.
The angel Of death has gathered In >
rlch harvest this year from horrible
railroad accidents, the OhAts worth hor-
sOr being the richest corner ofhis ghAst.
IL harvest fell. We are gradually
awakening to the fact that although
railroad arrangements to Insure the
safety OF travel look perfect, there IL
auoh to learn and to be put into prao-
tios yet In that respect. Were the large
number OF railroad accidents that have
occurred during the present year oil
from the same cause, We would know
exactly where 10 look for that cause
and have 1t, II possible, ersdicated, bot
OF the mum osr there have been no two
alike. One Was caused BY bridge liter
ally breaking down beneath an ordi-
nary train, another and more than one
by defective air brakes, some BY broken
sxies, others BY misplaced switches and
the last and most horrible Of oil BY .
burning bridge over dry ohssm. L.
IL 6rst one cause and then another.
Human Ingenuity comes to the aid OF
science and patches up one, but is soon
onfronted by another and 30 1t goes.
One terrible carnage after another leads
the publ, TO believe that there 10 some
thing very imperfect In railroAdlng yet.
Tho bridge aocidsu. near Boston might
have been avertsd by proper Inspect
tiou Of bridges. The apparently perfect
machinery for turning switches ts after
oil under the control Of pieoe OF men.
tai ingenuity and intelligence that
wears out sooner end ottsner than the
machinery itself. The man in the
watch tower sinks beneath the heavy
burthen OF imposed duties, and about
the time he should be wide awake he 10
fast asleep. 1t must be said, however.
thAt acci dents from switches signaled
and controlled from the signal tower
are exceedingly scarce ~, where there
10 more than single brain to depend
upon there 10 generally . level head
amongst them. The defective air-brake
has come Ia this summer for Its fall
share OF blame for adding TO the list Of
accidents. 1t is hard to see how to cir
oumvent the mischief caused by ths
air-brAks. 1t may be In perfec. order
when o train starts and In few NOM
cuts 1t may be all out OF order. The
engineer does not know when tho trans
formation taxes place and Is po Terless
TO avert catastrophe.
Then here is this burning bridge that
causes the lstes. and greatest horror.
Nearly Q thousand souls happy and
chatting and laughing are sped along
q mile minute, In the silent hour OF
the Hrst morning watch AFTER midnight.
Full OF anticipations for the morning
Of seeing the mis-. rise mp from the great
seething ohaldron Of NisgnrA's dsepes
depths they are obi vlous OF danger and
fully en- pleasure bent. But right
ahead is = little wooden bridge. Had
It bssn an iron bridge over some large
stream or river, numerous lights would
have flashed In all directions to show
the en- Sineer thA. ths way was clear
and All WAS right. Bat there was
light too ct this little wooden bridge
of Chstsworth, bat it was the light ths,
lured on to death. A passing prairie fire
put the torch TO the listle bridge and g
tongue OF fame was the signal lantern
that flashed In the fAoe OF the engineer.
What folio we'd has been told 10 column
after column OF the harro wing detaill
OF dead and wounded people, the gal
liant dghs by the Surviving men to pu
out the rising fires by piling earth upol
them in plase OF water which could no
be had, and the heroic Efforts made /
save dying, MANNED humanity from th
horrible wreck. The wots. side G
human nature was shown in the roi
bers, who system usticslly robbed tn
dead Of their 1ey and other valu.
bles. But who or wha. is 10 blame 70
this terrible accident? Somebody nul
be In the fault. Why should tim
enough slapse to burn . bridge withou
wstchman crossing 1t or seeing 1t ,
give the danger signsl? Ga rallros
where there are bridges, tunnels, Gu
bankmehss, crossings and cuts oil Alon
the route in almos. endless proiusio,
should there not be. wa.chmen an
walkers enough not to leave any pA
OF the road more than five minut
within the passage OF . train withol
being under surveillance? This wou
be costly We know, bu. better thi
than the horrible ChAssworth acciden
Then We are told tina. the train VI
speeding along At the rate OF mile
hour after midnight, containing 9
human souls running Of the speed OF
miles an houi. Why look farther {
oulpsbility? Here we have the me
reckless exhibition Of daring and dis
gard OF the safety OF human lie Inns
Unable. Accounts tell US that 1t wasi /
possible 10 stop the tr Ain In time to av
the threatened danger. Why OF coul
1t WAS. Two heavy engines and 10 o
senger OARS, with 960 passengers Il vi
on towards this ill.fA.ed bridge at
rate OF mile . minute WAS no el
affair to stop. Why was this train !
out ct the dead hour Of night7 II
no flying express with bat few p
seDgers. Why was 1t run In one g
tion with two ponderous engines? W
was 1t an hour and Q half behind til
and why WAS 1t run . mile q minu,
an excursion team loaded with u
women and children? These are az
tions the public are asking. They
tremendously interested In such exc
sion trips, bus they do nos want to Il
risks 10 trains OF Is cars, containing
passengers, drawn by two engines q
rnn ct midnight st the rate Of mil
minu 9.
THE Republicans OF North Carol
since hearing the news from Kentu,
have resolved to 60 little better
entirely redeem the State from BourI